EWS-G3

EWS-G3 is an active satellite operated by NOAA (National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration) (United States), launched on 2009-06-27 from Cape Canaveral, Florida on the GOES O launch. After 17 years in orbit, it continues to be tracked by global surveillance networks. It orbits in Geostationary Orbit (GEO) at altitudes between 35,829 km and 35,847 km with an inclination of 1.8°. It travels at approximately 11,063 km/h (3.07 km/s), completing one full orbit every ~24 hours (geosynchronous) — that’s roughly 1.00 orbits per day. At geostationary altitude, there is no meaningful atmospheric drag — this object will remain in orbit indefinitely unless actively deorbited. Orbital Radar tracks EWS-G3 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

EWS-G3 occupies geostationary orbit at approximately 35,786 km above the equator, where its orbital period matches the Earth’s 24-hour rotation. From the ground, it appears to hover over a fixed point — ideal for broadcast television, weather monitoring and wideband communications. With an inclination of 1.8°, it traces a small figure-of-eight pattern relative to the equator rather than remaining perfectly stationary, which can indicate aging stationkeeping fuel or a deliberate inclined-orbit strategy. Within ±50 km of EWS-G3’s average altitude, there are currently 135 active payloads and 51 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. United States operates approximately 12,671 active satellites in total, of which 21 share a similar altitude band with EWS-G3.